Category Archives: MEXICAN FOOD RECIPES

CARNE ADOVADA (MEXICAN PORK AND RED CHILI STEW)

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When I started my latest mini-series on stews, the rain was beating down and snow was imminent. Today however, the sun is shining, the water in Port Susan Bay is a light dusky blue, and Mt. Baker*, Three Fingers, and Glacier Peak are out in all their glory. (I love the term “out” in connection with a mountain being visible. As if when it’s not visible it’s “in” or “gone”? Yet another example of the vagary consistent within the English language.) But back to the recipe. (Sometimes it’s almost impossible for me to stay on track.) Now, where was I? Ah yes – stew.

I came across this recipe (or my take on a combination of adovada recipes) while I was researching stews from around the world. What interested me the most about this dish was the use of different and totally unfamiliar chilies. So I went on line and ordered the chilies I needed from a specialty site. I patiently waited until they arrived, and taking the advice of several people who had made comments on the recipes I lifted, I began my journey into adovada land. It was wonderful, but I had used all the guajillo chilies I had ordered in just my first batch of this stew. So just for grins and giggles I decided to see if I could purchase more at one of my local grocery stores. Low and behold, I had no trouble finding them in Stanwood. Yeah team! Needless to say I was delighted.

Now something you should know. This is a very rich stew, and a small portion goes a long way. In fact, the next time I serve it, I am going to think of it as a side dish. Actually, a small serving would be just perfect, not to mention economical served with Refried Beans, Classic Coleslaw, warm flour or corn tortillas, and a Margarita or cold beer.

So next time you are hungry for traditional Mexican food and don’t want to make a trip to your local Mexican restaurant where pretty much everything tastes the same regardless of what you order (oh oops, did I say that out loud), give this dish a try. I promise you that it will have the authentic Mexican taste we all crave and typically can’t find at a restaurant. OK, if you live in Denver, New Mexico, or Texas you can probably find great Mexican food on every corner. But not so much in many parts of the US.

So take the time some rainy Saturday to create a Mexican fiesta for your family and friends. Good Mexican food takes time to build, but it is well worth the effort. Buen provecho!

*For those of you not familiar with the glorious northwestern part of Washington State, Mt. Baker is in the most northern part of the Cascade Range or North Cascades. Mt. Baker is the mountain shown at the top of my home page (using the zoom feature on my camera) as it appears from my kitchen sink. And yes, I do know how lucky I am!

  • 9 dried guajillo chili peppers* (about 2-oz.)
  • 4 dried chile de árbol **
  • 4 c. chicken broth
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
  • 2 lb. pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes (extra fat and silver skin removed)
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 T. corn or vegetable oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 T. dried oregano, preferably Mexican oregano

In a dry skillet, toast the chili peppers over medium high heat until they are slightly puffed and fragrant. (Be careful not to burn the pods or they will become bitter.) Let cool. Rip off the stems of the dried chili peppers and empty out all of the seeds. (Feel free to cut a slit into each chili if it helps to remove the seeds.) Pour 3 cups of the chicken broth into a pot; add the cumin, cloves, and the toasted chilies. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes or until both types of chili pods are fully rehydrated. Remove from heat and cool. When cool, carefully pour the liquid and re-hydrated chilies into a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Set chili sauce aside.

Meanwhile pat the meat dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a heavy covered Dutch oven. Add the meat in single layers and brown thoroughly on all sides. Remove meat to a bowl. (Add more corn oil during the browning process if required.) When all the pork is browned and removed from the pan, add the onion and cook until soft. Next add the garlic and oregano and cook for about a minute or until the garlic releases its aroma. Add the browned meat back into the pot along with the chili sauce. Use the last cup of chicken stock to “wash out” the blender or food processor bowl and add liquid to the Dutch oven. Stir well to bring up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring stew to a boil, remove from heat, cover, and place in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for 2 hours or until the meat is very tender. Stir after one hour, taste and adjust seasonings; add a small amount of water if necessary. (You want the stew to be moist but not so soupy that it can’t be served on a regular plate. See picture above.)  When the meat is fork tender, remove the pan from the oven and serve.

Note: Carne Adovada is also wonderful when used as a filling for burritos, enchiladas, or tacos.

*The Guajillo Chili Pepper is the most common chili in Mexico after the Ancho. The flavor is distinct, slightly fruity with a strong piney, berry under taste. The chili measures 3 to 5 inches in length and is about an inch wide. The color is a brick red with deep burgundy tones with a smooth, shiny skin. Dried Guajillo Chili peppers can be located in the ethnic food section of most grocery stores.

**The Chile de árbol is a small and potent Mexican chili pepper also known as bird’s beak chili and rat’s tail chili. These chilies are about 2 to 3 inches long, and ¼ to 3/8-inch in diameter. They can be purchased in most good sized grocery stores.

 

REFRIED BEANS

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OK, so you know the old doggerel – beans, beans the musical fruit, the more you eat the more you, etc. etc. – well for all the bad press associated with eating dried beans, they are none-the-less extremely good for us. According to the WebMD site, and I paraphrase, “Dried beans or legumes are an inexpensive and healthy addition to your diet. A serving (1/3 cup of cooked beans) contains around 80 calories, no cholesterol, lots of complex carbohydrates, and little fat. In addition, beans are a good source of B vitamins, potassium, and fiber, which help promote digestive health and relieve constipation. Eating beans may help prevent colon cancer, and reduce blood cholesterol (a leading cause of heart disease). Beans, often thought of as a side dish, make excellent meat free entrees.”

Add to this the fact that when properly prepared they are just darn right tasty. (My words, not WebMD’s.) And this recipe is just about as simple and pure as any bean recipe could be. No added fat, no meat, just a really nice combination of subtle flavors. It is actually the culmination of years of trying to make tasty, low fat, and meatless refried beans. I mean really, there is enough fat in the form of cheese in the other dishes I usually serve with refried beans to make up for any necessity to include it in the refried beans themselves. And then if truth be told, I usually serve grated cheese on the beans, so fat in the recipe is totally unnecessary. Whew – that was probably more information than you ever wanted to know about a simple dish featuring a dried bean.

So do yourself a favor, give these beans a try. They are really tasty and terribly good for you. And vegetarian and I think vegan, although I am not an expert on veganism. (A lack of knowledge I pride myself on, by-the-way. And yes, I know for some of you that firmly categorizes me as “slightly depraved”. I’m actually OK with that, if we only extend the definition of depraved as far as it applies to veganism!)

  • 2 c. dried pinto beans
  • 2 garlic cloves, rough chopped
  • ½ jalapeno, rough chopped (no seeds or veins)
  • 1 tsp. chili powder, divided
  • 11 c. water (yes, eleven!) – will probably need even more
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

Rinse the beans thoroughly; place in a large pan with the garlic cloves, jalapeno, and ½ teaspoon of the chili powder. Add water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 1 hour. Stir the beans often as they cook and add water as needed. After the first hour, add the remaining ½ teaspoon chili powder, salt, and pepper. Continue to simmer for another 1½ hours or until the beans are very tender and the water has reduced to the consistency of thin gravy.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWhen the beans are finished cooking either whirl until smooth in a food processor and return to the pan to keep warm, or use a hand blender to break down the beans to the desired consistency. (Some people like some lumps in their refries, some want their beans as smooth and lump free as possible, other want the beans left whole; merely a personal preference.)  Use as a bean dip with tortilla chips or as a side dish. Great served with freshly baked flour tortillas (you can get them unbaked at Costco) and as a side with Carne Adovada (Mexican Red Chili and Pork Stew)

 

 

GREEN POZOLE WITH CHICKEN

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Since winter is going to be with us for a while longer (it’s actually snowing as I write), I thought I might add a few more stew recipes to my blog for your culinary edification. And since most countries have their own take on “stew”, I thought I would bring you along on my quest for beloved stew recipes from around the world.

I have already posted Carbonnade (Germany), Beef Bourguignonne (France), Poulet Au Vin Blanc (France), Irish Lamb Stew (Ireland), and from the good old USA, Chicken and Dumpling Stew, Beef Stew, and Creamy Oyster Stew.  Today I am going to share with you my take on a classic Mexican stew –pozole.

I actually got this recipe from Mr. C. He had just come home from a tango rehearsal at one of the other musician’s homes, and she (Ruthie) had served this wonderful stew after rehearsal. Well needless to say, Mr. C. was so impressed with the dish that he requested a copy of the recipe. (I have him very well trained!) As it turns out, the recipe was posted on the Epicurious site in 2003. Of course I made a few changes based on ingredients that I knew I could purchase at my local grocery store. I also ramped up the flavor a bit by starting with chicken stock rather than plain water. I also tried to stick to as few pots as possible. (The first time I made this stew I had every pot I owned dirty by the time the stew was done! Not the best use of my time or energy. So the changes I made were both efficiency measures and time reduction methods. I love to cook, but I don’t appreciate performing steps that make no difference to the final result.)

So below is my recipe for Green Pozole with Chicken. Now something you should know before you follow me into Mexican food heaven. I have never tasted another pozole stew, so all I really know is that whatever it is that I made tastes really, really good.

So, if you happen to be a pozole connoisseur, I would appreciate your comments. (And yes, before you jump all over me for not including green pumpkin seeds in my recipe, I know they should be included. But if you can find hulled green unroasted pumpkins seeds on Camano Island or even in the burgeoning metropolis of Stanwood, then you are a better shopper than I. And don’t even go there with me about using dried epazote as a first choice over oregano!) Comments/questions?   chezcarrcuisine@wavecable.com

  • ½ c. dried white corn posole (hominy)*
  • 5 c. water
  • 5 tsp. Knorr Caldo de Pollo (chicken flavor bouillon- located in the ethnic food section of most grocery stores – yellow label, green lid) or regular chicken stock
  • 1 celery stalk, rough chopped
  • 1 carrot, rough chopped
  • ¾ large onion, chopped, divided
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced, divided
  • 1 small Turkish or ½ California bay leaf
  • couple grinds of black pepper
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
  • 1½ lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • ½ lb. tomatillos, husked
  • 1 jalapeño chile pepper, quartered (including seeds)
  • 6 T. chopped fresh cilantro, divided
  • ½ tsp. oregano (preferably Mexican), crumbled
  • 2 T. cornstarch
  • cubed avocado tossed with lime juice, opt.
  • lime wedges, opt.

*Use 15-oz. of canned hominy if in a hurry, but taste and texture are just not as good as when you start with dried pozole.
Place dried hominy in a non-reactive container and cover with water; soak overnight. Next day, boil posole in salted water for approximately 2-2½ hours or until tender. Drain.  Meanwhile bring the 5 cups of water, chicken bouillon, celery, carrot, half of the chopped onion, half of the minced garlic, bay leaf, black pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt to a boil, covered, in a large heavy pot; reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add chicken and poach at a bare simmer, uncovered, until chicken is just cooked through, about 20 minutes. Transfer chicken to a cutting board to cool. Pour broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, discarding solids, and reserve stock. When chicken is cool enough to handle, coarsely shred with your fingers.

Using the same pot, simmer tomatillos, remaining onion (except for about a quarter cup reserved for garnish), and 1 cup of the reserved chicken stock together, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Gently pour the soft vegetables into a blender or food processor along with the jalapeño, 2 tablespoons of the chopped cilantro, oregano, remaining garlic, and remaining ½ teaspoons salt. Whirl until well blended. Pour back into the pot and cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Combine corn starch and 1 cup reserved broth, add to purée and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in shredded chicken, hominy, and remaining reserved broth and simmer, partially covered for 20 minutes. Stir in remaining 4 tablespoons cilantro and adjust seasonings. Serve pozole in bowls garnished with reserved onion (really a must), avocado, and lime wedges. Lovely with cornbread on the side; a nice cold beer too!

GREEN CHILIES AND RICE CASSEROLE

Some days it just doesn’t seem like there are enough hours to go around. I long ago realized that I was simply born on the wrong planet. No one’s fault really; just a mistake any over worked and underpaid stork could have made. But it still doesn’t negate the fact that I truly would have been happier if the original 36 hour a day plan for me (based solely on my own observations) would have been followed. And I know I am not alone. There are many of you out there for whom fate destined your misfortune too.  But alas, there is absolutely nothing we can do about our situation. (I’m quite sure in the future biologists will be able to work in cooperation with the Union of Stork Deliverers to make certain this type of error never again occurs.) But for those of us already on planet earth, we must persevere and make the most of the piddling 24 hours a day we were given. Hopefully this quick and easy recipe will help.

  • 3 c. cooked rice (1 c. raw)
  • 16-oz. (pint) sour cream
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 small can (4-oz.) chopped green chilies
  • 1 lb. Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese, grated
  • paprika

Combine the cooked rice, sour cream, soup, and green chilies. Spoon half of the mixture in a lightly buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle with half of the grated cheese. Repeat. Sprinkle lightly with paprika. Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. Just allow a little more baking time if you are starting with a cold casserole. And no, this is not a low calorie dish. But oh my goodness is it good and definitely a child pleaser. My kids used to woof this down. Great served with roast pork and a green salad.

QUESO DIP

OK, this is not an original recipe but in my opinion is the best Queso Dip ever. I tried making Queso with expensive cheeses, fresh chilies blistered over my gas stove flame, chopped onions, finely minced garlic, etc. etc. None of them turned out worth a darn. Then one day my daughter Paula told me about Velveeta’s recipe for Queso. I demurred because of my snobbish distain for processed cheeses, but I tried it anyway. Ok – all the fancy cheese and ingredients in the world aren’t worth a pickled pig’s foot compared with this ever so easy and economical version.

So next time you want an easy appetizer, give this baby a try. I promise no one will take you to task for using processed cheese. And of course, you don’t have to announce to your guests that one of the two ingredients in your fabulous dip is Velveeta. There are just some secrets a good cook keeps to themselves. Just turn on your best Mona Lisa smile, nod your head in acknowledgement of the compliments, and become suddenly very, very busy in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on the other dishes you are preparing.

  • 1 lb. Velveeta, cut into ½-inch cubes
  • 1 (10-oz.) can RO*TEL Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained

Mix ingredients in 2-qt. microwavable bowl. Microwave on high for 5 minutes or until Velveeta is completely melted, stirring often. Serve with assorted veggies and tortilla chips.

 

SALSA

Since this is my final recipe of my mini-series on good homemade Mexican food, I had to end with salsa. Really I should have begun with salsa, because really good salsa is the first thing I look forward to when we I go out for Mexican food. That and warm really fresh tortilla chips. Actually, if the tortilla chips are lovely and the salsa is flavorful, I could make a meal on the chips and salsa alone. But all too often the chips are stale and the salsa is at best mediocre. (Actually, I’m kind of picky about my salsa. It can’t be too runny, or have the consistency of Pico de Gallo (although I love a good Pico de Gallo as a garnish). I want my salsa to be a happy blend of saucy and chunky. I know, picky, picky, picky! So when daughter Paula served us this sauce one evening, I thought it was the best non-restaurant salsa I had ever tasted. Please feel free to add more “heat” if you like a spicier sauce. I personally have a great deal of respect for plants containing capsicum and tend to give them wide berth. (I have this thing about not wanting to hurt myself, and too much capsicum definitely burns my mouth, sensitive flower that I am.)  So regardless of whether you enjoy your salsa mild, medium or crazy hot, this is a simple recipe easily adapted to your own personal level of heat tolerance. Serve salsa drizzled over your favorite Mexican dish or with warmed *Juanita’s tortilla chips. A nice cold beer or one of Mr. C.s famous Margaritas would also be nice when you serve this salsa. Thanks again Paula for this wonderful recipe. Love you!

  • 1 (15-oz.) can tomato sauce
  • 3-4 cloves garlic
  • 1 fresh jalapeño, seeded (or more to taste)
  • ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
  • ¾ tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 large tomatoes, finely chopped
  • ½ lg. onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 c. loosely packed parsley leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 c. loosely packed cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1-2 tsp. dried oregano
  • juice of 1 lime

Combine the tomato sauce, garlic, jalapeño, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor. Whirl until well blended. Pour into a bowl; add finely chopped tomatoes, onion, parsley, cilantro, oregano (start with 1 teaspoon), and lime juice. Adjust seasonings. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably over night. Bring to room temperature before serving.

*Juanita’s Tortilla Chips are made in Hood River, Oregon. They are the best tortilla chips I have ever found in a grocery store.

SHRIMP AND SCALLOP CEVICHE

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This recipe was given to me by our dear friend Desiree. She prepared it for one of our JazzVox concerts and it was a huge success. I absolutely could not stop eating it. And believe me, I was not alone. I did change some of the amounts and omit a couple of ingredients, but that’s only because of personal preference. The great thing about ceviche is that in addition to shrimp and scallops you can use a wide variety of other seafood including snapper, flounder, sea bass, halibut, mahi-mahi, tilapia, squid, and octopus. In fact, tilapia is very widely used in Mexico and here in America it is fairly inexpensive and widely available. And I know, ceviche is all about “cooking” seafood in citrus juice, mainly lemon and lime. However, I prefer to actually lightly poach my shrimp and scallops before I add them to the other ingredients.  Technically speaking, to actually cook something, heat is required. So a dish in which raw fish is marinated in citrus juice hasn’t truly been cooked.  But food “cooked” in an acid isn’t exactly raw either. Both heat and citric acid are agents of a chemical process called denaturation. Denaturation is the process by which protein molecules in food are structurally changed by heating, agitation, pressure or adding an alkali or acid. When fish is “cooked” in citrus juices, the process of denaturation turns the flesh firm and opaque, as if it had been cooked with heat. But from everything I’ve read, “cooking” food in citrus juice does not do as good a job of killing bacteria or parasites as does cooking with heat. Unless you are absolutely positive your seafood is ultra fresh, I would recommend that you at least consider a hot bath for your seafood before you add it to its flavorful citric marinade. But enough about “cooking” and cooking! Let’s go on to an interesting and perhaps little known fact about ceviche marinade.

If you are a ceviche connoisseur, then you probably already know about Tiger’s Milk (leche de tigre). But just in case you don’t, leche de tigre is what the Peruvians call the leftover ceviche marinade. It is often served as the drink of choice when ceviche is on the menu. It is served in small glasses with or without vodka. (I’m tellin’ you, for me to drink this concoction it would have to be at least 1/3rd vodka!) But, apparently Peruvians love their leche de tigre. They consider it an excellent cure for hangovers. (You know, I don’t make this stuff up; but it seems to me that vodka spiked leche de tigre would cause more hangovers than it would cure!)  Happy ceviche everyone.

  • ½ c. fresh orange juice
  • 4 limes, juiced
  • 3 lemons, juiced
  • dash hot sauce
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ c. finely diced red onion
  • 1-2 very finely minced jalapeño peppers
  • 2 c. (about ¾ lb.) raw scallops
  • 2 c. (about ¾ lb. raw de-veined medium large shrimp
  • ½ c. finely chopped cilantro
  • 4 finely chopped green onions
  • 2-3 campari or vine-ripened tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
  • 2 avocados, diced

In a medium sized, non-reactive bowl, stir together the orange juice, 3/4th of the lime juice (reserve the remaining lime juice to add just before serving), lemon juice, hot sauce, salt, pepper, red onion, jalapeño, and poached scallops and shrimp. (To poach the shrimp and scallops, season 2 quarts of water with 1/4 cup kosher salt and bring to a boil. Once the water has come to a boil, add the seafood to the pot and immediately turn off the heat. Let the shrimp and scallops sit until just about cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove from the water and immediately drop in ice cold water. Drain, pat dry, and cut into bite sized pieces.) Make sure seafood is completely covered with citrus liquid. Add more lime juice if necessary. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours. Stir once or twice to ensure everybody marinating uniformly. 30 minutes before serving add the cilantro, green onions, tomatoes, avocados, and reserved lime juice. Adjust seasoning and drain off part of the liquid. (Or of course, you can serve the extra marinade in small glasses to the uninitiated.) Serve as an appetizer with tortilla chips or on a bed of lettuce for a light summer salad. Either way, ceviche is a heavenly way to enjoy seafood.

 

 

MEXICAN TOASTED CORN SALAD

Once in awhile you fall in love with a dish that is incredibly easy to prepare, low fat, and wonderfully tasty. Well this salad fits that description perfectly. There is nothing about this salad not to like. It has a nice nutty flavor from the toasted corn, and the diced red and orange peppers provide not only a lovely crunch, but gorgeous little spots of color. And the best part, there is nary a drop of mayonnaise or sour cream to be found. So this is a perfect dish to take to a potluck. It is not going to spoil if it has to sit unrefrigerated. In fact, it is better served room temperature. The only thing you have to do at the last minute is mix in the avocado. Well, that and get out of the way. Once people have tasted this salad, they are going to remember it. So the first time you serve it, you might be OK standing in front of the salad and conversing with friends. The second time however, it’s best to make a hasty retreat once you set the salad on the table. People are like elephants in that they too have long memories when it comes to finding food they like. Of course, elephants have to remember food locations too, whereas people only have to remember if they found a particular food enjoyable. But in both cases a stampede can result.  Forewarned is forearmed!

  • 1 T. vegetable oil
  • 2 c. frozen corn, thawed and patted dry or kernels from 2-3 ears of grilled fresh corn
  • 1 T. fresh lime juice
  • ¼ c. tomato salsa, medium hot
  • ¼ red pepper, chopped
  • ¼ orange pepper, chopped
  • 2 T. chopped red onion
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
  • 1 Hass avocado, chopped
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

Pour oil into a medium sized fry pan heated to medium high. Add corn and sauté, stirring occasionally until corn toasts and browns slightly. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Meanwhile combine lime juice and salsa in a medium sized bowl. Add the peppers, onion, tomatoes, and cooled pan-fried corn or kernels from grilled corn. Toss to coat and season to taste with salt and pepper. When ready to serve, gently stir in avocado pieces. Note: this recipe doubles, triples, etc. very well.

 

 

MUSSELS IN ANCHO CHILI CREAM SAUCE

Mr. C. and I love almost any type of critter that spent its happier days (that is to say alive days) basking in either salt or fresh water. And bivalve mollusks, like mussels and clams, when they are steamed in a lovely broth are at the top of our list of most beloved seafood dishes. And this recipe that I developed after having enjoyed a similar mussel appetizer at a Mexican restaurant in the Ballard district of Seattle is one of our favorites. Most of the time I begin my food experiments (actually knock-off recipes) using the ingredients listed on the menu. In this case the only ingredients listed were (if I remember correctly) ancho chili, shallots, wine, and cream. Not a lot to go on, but never-the-less, a starting point. (My biggest problem was where to find ancho chili powder. Even though, at the time, and this was quite a few years ago, we lived in Bellevue, I couldn’t find ancho chili powder anywhere. (For those of you unfamiliar with the great state of Washington, Bellevue is the 2nd largest city; (really just an unpretentious little burg) located east and just across Lake Washington from Seattle.) I finally located ancho chili powder at Market Spice, a fabulous spice store in Seattle’s famous Pike Street Market. Now thank heaven, you can find it at most upscale markets around the area. After finally finding ancho chili powder, I added the other ingredients that had been listed on the menu and a few others that I remembered either seeing or tasting in the broth. After a couple of near misses, I came up with the recipe I am sharing with you today. It is ever so lovely as an appetizer, but also makes a heavenly main dish if you add al dente cooked pasta. Just place the pasta in the bottom of a large, flat bowl. Scoop some of the mussels, or a combination of mussels, clams, prawns, and calamari rings over the pasta and add some of the broth and topping ingredients. Serve with chewy baguette slices and you have a simple one course lunch or dinner fit for a king!

  • 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 shallots, finely chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 12-15 fresh thyme sprigs tied together with kitchen string
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp. or more ancho chili powder
  • 1 c. dry white wine
  • 1 bottle clam juice
  • ½ c. heavy cream
  • 2-3 lbs. mussels, cleaned and de-bearded
  • kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 2 T. chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 small tomato, chopped
  • 1 lemon cut into wedges for garnish
  • chewy Italian baguette, sliced

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add shallots and celery and sweat until softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, sauté for 1 minute. Add the thyme sprigs, bay leaf, ancho chile (start with 1 teaspoon), wine, clam juice, and cream. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until liquid is reduced to about ½ cup, 30-40 minutes. If you want a stronger ancho taste, add a small amount more at this point. Remove the thyme sprig bundle and bay leaf from the pan. Discard. Turn up the heat, and add mussels; cover and simmer until mussels open, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Discard any mussels that have not opened. Taste broth and season with salt and pepper if required. Sprinkle with parsley and chopped tomato and garnish with lemon wedges. Provide each person with a large flat bowl and a tiny or salad fork. Serve mussels right out of pan with baguette slices for dipping.

WEEKNIGHT TAMALE PIE

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Ok, now that you have my real Tamale Pie recipe, I am going to share my weeknight tamale pie recipe with you. This recipe is especially helpful for working parents.  In fact, this recipe helped save my sanity many times over the years when I would arrive home from work, having already exhausted every fiber in my body, and there was still work to be done, i.e. dinner to fix, laundry, baths to oversee….you know the drill! For all the years my kids were growing up, this was my “I’m too tired to cope and basically I hate everything and everybody” go to recipe. (I’m sure, as a parent, you’ve never experienced that kind of a feeling, but if you ever do, this recipe will be just the thing to help you make it through!) And the best part, Weeknight Tamale Pie is really tasty. Everyone in your family will love it. Now granted, this is not gourmet food, and will never make the likes of Gourmet Magazine or Bon Appétit. Also, it will not win you the “best working mother or father nutritional achievement award”. But I say who cares. It contains enough good, nutritious ingredients for occasional simple dinners; plus your little darlings will love it. And truly, after an exhausting day, do you really want to spend the evening arguing with your children about broccoli or Brussels sprouts? Save those battles for days when you have even a remote chance of winning! So, on the days when it seems that everything that could have gone wrong did, remember this recipe. When you first get home from work, take a package of ground beef out of the freezer and place it in the microwave to defrost. Then change your cloths, tell your family how happy you are to see them, and that you would appreciate their patience while you prepare them a wonderful dinner. Take the meat out of the microwave, place it in a large covered pan, and pour yourself a wee dram of something delicious. Doesn’t even have to be an adult beverage, although why not? Then sit down to dinner with your family and relax. That hideous pile of laundry can wait!

  • 1 lb. extra lean ground beef
  • 1 small onion, chopped or ¼ c. dehydrated chopped onion
  • 1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
  • 1 pkg. taco seasoning or 2 T. bulk taco seasoning (or to taste)
  • 1 (16-oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
  • 1 (6-oz.) can black olives, drained and halved
  • 1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • tortilla chips
  • sour cream, opt.
  • salsa, opt.

Fry ground beef in a heavy covered Dutch oven or sauce pan. Add chopped onion and cook until tender. Add tomato sauce, taco seasoning, corn, and black olives. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat as far as possible.

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Remove lid and sprinkle with cheese and enough tortilla chips to hide the cheese, cover and let sit on low heat until cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Do not stir. Serve as soon as cheese is melted with additional tortilla chips, sour cream, and salsa.  Note: I serve this dish as a stand-alone dish. It may not be as well balanced a meal as it should be, but some nights I’m not as well balanced as I should be either! And do yourself a favor. Since this is a dish that contains mostly pantry ingredients, stock up on cans of tomato sauce, black olives, corn, etc. when they go on sale. And never be without ground beef in your freezer. Or tortilla chips in your pantry.